Activities for Seniors

How to Provide Spiritual Care for the Elderly

Very few care homes have chaplains or pastoral carers. This means that Activity Coordinators are often left to handle spiritual issues. With an open and caring heart, you can do it.

2 Comments New Member Activity

Bean Auction

Each resident gets a bag of 40 beans to bid on the items they want. The items up for bid can come from the dollar store, or staff can donate items. Our residents love this activity!

5 Comments Member Activity

This Day in History for Seniors: September

A reminiscing magazine for every day in September! Enjoy the next edition of the popular 'This Day in History' series with historical trivia, jokes, quotes and biographies!

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How to Get Reluctant Residents to Attend Activities

We work hard at planning activities we know residents will enjoy. There is usually a core group of residents who attend and engage in these activities, but there are some who regularly decline invitations. Once they get to an activity, they enjoy themselves, yet they remain reluctant. Here are some simple techniques to improve reluctant resident engagement over time.

2 Comments Member Activity

Poetry Prompts for Gratitude

World Gratitude Day arrives on September 21, but you never need a specific day to count your blessings. Group and individual poetry prompts are wonderful ways to be creative in a new way, along with giving residents the chance to work a new part of their brain.

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Rosh Hashanah Sensory Kits

Honor residents of Jewish background and faith by putting together a sensory kit based on Rosh Hashanah traditions.

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An Orchard of Trivia

September is a big month for farmers in America and Canada, as they are harvesting the crops they have worked so hard to grow since the spring season. Here are some fun facts about the harvest season.

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Comic Book Characters Word Search

A fun word search with featuring famous comic book characters!

Confucius Motivational Quotes II

Education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds peace.

Confucius Short Biography

Confucius was an influential Chinese philosopher, teacher and political figure. He became widely known for his teachings concerning the principles of good conduct, practical wisdom, and proper social relationships.

Comic Book Reminiscing

Comic Books - what a great subject for reminiscing!  Whether you grew up glued to the pages of your favourite comic book, or you have never experienced them, you are bound to  discover some exciting storytelling!

Superheroes Quiz

How well do you know your superheroes?!

Paper Moon Rockets Game

We have celebrated this wonderful event by making paper darts or planes to represent moon rockets as attached and launching each residents’ dart in turn at a symbol on the floor, a few feet away, to represent the moon.

2 Comments Member Activity

Late Blooming Artists

Life has so many ups and downs that sometimes you think there is no time for the semi-forgotten dreams we have.  Here are some people who made a late start or remained active throughout their later years. Ask residents to add other late starters to this list.

Words ending with ISH Quiz

The answers to this quiz end with the letters: ISH!

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Guess My Career

I've provided a list of (basic) careers. Without saying the career, describe the role to residents and have them guess who you are!

2 Comments Member Activity

The Importance of Political Correctness in Senior Care

Our word choices when providing care is extremely important. Becoming more mindful of how we phrase and even reference caregiving acts is an essential change in the culture of care homes. 

2 Comments Member Activity

American Summer Quiz

All About Summer in America Quiz!

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5 Things We Can Learn From Dementia Villages

For those caring for seniors with dementia, successful interventions are centered on reminiscence and the person. What happens when we give the person the chance to explore an environment that feels familiar to them? Dementia villages are aiming to do just that.

Member Activity

Minute to Win it

Every year we have members of a local grade 6 class come and participate in activities with our seniors at our day program. We decided to do an interactive minute to win it games with the kids and the clients. This program was a hit!!

Member Activity

Have You Ever Game

A great game to get to know you residents, and see what you have in common! Similar to penny ante... see what other questions you can come up with!

7 Comments Member Activity

Remembering Shirley Temple

The residents loved the remembering Judy Garland powerpoint presentation and asked if there was one on Shirley Temple.  I made one and thought I would submit it as these create great discussion and reminiscing.

5 Comments Member Activity

Attire of the World

In which country would you see people wearing these? Sari, Moccasins, Poncho and more... Full page images provided!

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Are You Using Your Local Library Enough?

Your local library is a haven for free activity supplies, easy activity ideas, 1:1 interventions, and endless inspiration for your busy community. Learn how to utilize this community resource even more than you already are.

8 Comments Member Activity

Numbers, Numbers and More Numbers

A fun numbers quiz for seniors! I have always had great success with numbers in my experiences.

3 Comments Member Activity

The Envelope Game

What I personally love about this game, is that everyone knows about money, they love looking at it and counting it!

11 Comments Member Activity

Guessing Game - Who Am I?

This is a wonderful reminiscing activity in a group setting. Guess the names of these famous people from the clues provided.

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Reading Books Made from Newspaper Clippings

Choose positive, pleasant, interesting articles. Residents that have dementia or limited reading skills will enjoy reading them.

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Group Singing with Props

This is a wonderful multi-sensory activity for residents living with dementia.

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Words starting with AU Quiz

The answers to this quiz all start with the letters: AU!

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Funny Short Stories #4

Some more funny short stories the share: The Envelope, The Doctor and The Restaurant

Baby Boomers Music Quiz 4

The next in the baby boomer's music quiz series!

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This Day In History For Seniors: August

A reminiscing magazine for every day in August! Enjoy the next edition of the popular 'This Day in History' series with historical trivia, jokes, quotes and biographies!

11 Comments

Nursery Rhymes - Sing the Next Line

Most residents living with dementia will remember childhood rhymes. Sing these nursery rhymes together!

Famous Cat Lovers

Here is some fun trivia about some very famous cat people!

Pumpking Seed Guessing Game

This is a fun agricultural / harvest themed activity for residents!

Cat Breeds Word Search

A cat themed word search!

Amazing Cat Trivia

They are smart, sassy and snobs! They are often indifferent to what goes on around them so long as food and water are plentiful. But we love them all the same!

Corn Husking Relay

This activity will generate lots of giggles!

9 Principles of the Montessori Approach for Dementia Care

People living with dementia deserve to live to their full potential, with meaningful activities and the right support to achieve maximum engagement in social and leisure pursuits.

Vanishing Culture - The Kingdom of Mustang

Hidden by the Himalayas in one of the most remote corners of the world lies Mustang, an ancient forbidden kingdom. This pure and ancient culture, considered the best preserved medieval city in the world, is facing a cultural overhaul that could see the loss of ancestral skills and crafts as well as their language.

Funny Short Stories #3

Here are three funny short stories to share: The Farmer, Married Four Times, The Frog

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Build a Word Tree - Word Association

This is an Activity that has been very popular with all my Clients. It is a simple but very effective Word Association game, I call, Build a Word Tree!

6 Comments Member Activity

Seaside photography

We took a small group of residents living with Dementia to the seaside and gave them disposable cameras and asked them to take pictures of things that make the seaside special. We got them developed and we often look at them and discuss the day out. 

1 Comment Member Activity

Limericks

I have recently joined Golden Carers and wanted to start by giving something back. Here are some limericks that I wrote this morning, I hope that they might be of use to some. Thank you for all your great ideas and inspiration.

1 Comment Member Activity

D Day Invasion Quiz

To commemorate the anniversary of the historic attack on German-occupied Europe.

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Target Letter Game 1

How many words can you make with the letters in the square?

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Funny Short Stories #2

Here are three funny short stories to share: The Policeman, The Poacher and Senior Special!

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Word Ladder #12

Number 12 in our word ladder series! A fun and stimulating brain activity for the elderly.

Rhyming Riddles #15

All the answers to this quiz rhyme with the word PHONE

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